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Submit a video

Submission Deadline:

  • Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 at 11:59 pm unless alternate arrangements were made and communicated with/to Council District 12 and the MMTM leadership team.

Special Note: Submissions may be uploaded starting Thursday, April 16th, 2026 at 12:00 am.

SUBMIT A VIDEO

Special Note: The “Making Movies that Matter” Council District 12 Short Film Festival Artist-in-Residence Program is not responsible for the streaming, projection, or audio quality of the submitted file.

Submission Guidelines

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Submission Form

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Eligibility Requirements:

  • Film submissions may be no longer than 3 minutes in length.
  • Films must be shot on smartphones, iPads or devices with equivalent capacity/technology and may be edited using any software.
  • Films must be submitted as Quicktime videos (.mov) or MP4 videos (.mp4)
  • A one sentence synopsis/logline of the film must be included.
  • Films must be created between January – May 2026 to be considered.
  • Filmmakers must be K-16 students or from a pre-approved community organization

Submission Categories:

  • Documentary
  • Fictional Short
  • Public Service Announcement
  • Animated Short (original art only)
  • Music Video (original music only)

Labeling:

The file must be labeled as: [FILM TITLE]_[SCHOOL NAME].mov or [FILM TITLE]_[SCHOOL NAME].mp4

All submissions must be submitted online and labeled in the following manner:

  • Identify the age group of the filmmaker(s):
    • Elementary
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • 18+
  • Include the contact information for the school and/or each member of the team, including, but not limited to: physical address, phone number and email address.
  • Include the name of the Artist-in-Residence who advised or supervised the project, when applicable.

Festival Awards:

Awards will be made in the following categories by age group:

  • Outstanding Documentary
  • Outstanding Fictional Short
  • Outstanding Public Service Announcement
  • Outstanding Animated Short
  • Outstanding Music Video
  • Overall Elementary School Winner
  • Overall Middle School Winner
  • Overall High School Winner
  • Legacy of Love Award (in honor of Layla Niaki)
  • Community Spirit Award
  • Best of Festival: John S. Lee Award

Films world premiering at the Festival are eligible for the Festival’s multiple competitive categories. A special jury comprised of industry professionals will choose the winners.

General Requirements:

Shorts exhibited previously, either theatrically, at another local festival or via television or Internet broadcast are not eligible to apply. Rough cuts or works-in-progress are accepted and reviewed. However, filmmakers are urged to submit as close to the final cut as possible.